Ronald Reagan Administration:
Remarks to Reporters on Lebanon, the Middle
East

(September 8, 1982)

I asked Phil Habib to come by today in order to discuss the next phase
of the U.S. diplomacy in Lebanon and the prospects for our Middle East
initiative. I want to begin by reaffirming our principal objectives
in Lebanon: first, the removal of all foreign military forces from Lebanon;
second, the strengthening of the central government and the establishment
of its authority throughout the country; third, Lebanon must not again
become a launching pad for attacks into Israel. Indeed, the security
of all the states in the area can only be guaranteed through freely
negotiated peace treaties between Israel and its neighbors. And, finally,
I call on all the parties in Lebanon to maintain the cease-fire so that
diplomacy can succeed.

In the course of his briefing, Phil told me that a peaceful resolution
of the Beirut crisis would not have been possible without a multinational
force that included United States' forces. With the evacuation complete
and the authorities asserting their control throughout Beirut, I am
pleased to announce that the multinational force will commence its withdrawal
from Beirut, Friday, September 10th, day after tomorrow. And the United
States Marine contingent should be among the first to leave. We're therefore
keeping our commitment to have them out within 30 days.

I'll remain fully and personally engaged in support of the next phase
of our diplomacy in Lebanon. I also am announcing the formation of an
interagency steering group on Lebanon. This group, under the chairmanship
of the Deputy Secretary of State, will coordinate the political, economic,
and security assistance dimensions of our policy. Peter McPherson, Director
of AID, will assume responsibility for reconstruction efforts in addition
to his role as my personal representative for relief in Lebanon. And
Morris Draper, Phil's right hand in Lebanon, has been accorded the personal
rank of Ambassador, and he will manage the political working group and
shortly return to Lebanon to continue his work. And I want to express
my appreciation to him for what he has done and what he is going to
continue doing.

And once again, I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Phil
Habib for his superhuman efforts throughout the past year and a half.
Phil's successful diplomacy is one reason why we're now able to inject
a fresh start into the peace process.

Phil would like to make some remarks, I know, and I know many of you
would like to ask him questions. So I'm going to leave Phil and Morris
to you, and I have a date back in the office that I must now keep and
return to work. So, thank you for being here. And, Phil, again, thank
you. God bless you.

Ambassador Habib. Thank you for everything, Mr. President.

Ambassador Draper. Thank you very much, Mr. President.

The President. Morris, thank you.

Q. Mr. President, before you go, can you just tell us what you think
about Prime Minister Begin saying to the Knesset today that the West
Bank would be a Jewish homeland forever?

The President. I think that I'll let these gentlemen handle the questions
and take a question from that. My own personal reaction is that because
I stressed negotiations as the settlement to many of these troublesome
issues there, I think that we have to understand sometimes that maybe
positions are being staked out with those negotiations in mind.

Q. But do you think Israel will change, sir? Do you think this initial
reaction can be modified in the future?

The President. That's up to the negotiators.

[At this point, the President returned to the Oval Office.]

Q. He's gone now. Tell us everything. [Laughter]

Ambassador Habib. No, it's -- first of all, it's kind of nice to be
able to talk to you fellows without having to just wave as I go by.

But I'm particularly gratified that the President is continuing his
personal interest in the Lebanese situation. It's going to require continued
high-level attention in our government as we pursue the objectives that
the President has laid down for us. And in that regard he and Secretary
Shultz have given Morris and myself our instructions. Morris has his
marching orders. He'll be taking off very shortly. And then later in
the month, I'll go out for the inauguration of the new President and
spend a few days with him.

But basically, we're going to be trying to build upon the initial --
I wouldn't call them successes as much as I would call them the initial
progress that's been made in the Lebanese situation. There is a fair,
good chance that we can see a sovereign, integral, free, pluralistic
Lebanon, once again sovereign within its own territories. And that's
what we're basically going to be working for.